Unitary sheet metal key loop retainer

ABSTRACT

A one piece sheet metal key loop retainer has a leaf spring integrally joined to the forward end of its key loop retainer section through a reversely bent bight. The leaf spring underlies each of a plurality of loop head receiving openings in the loop receiving section of the retainer and terminates in a free end lying above the loop receiving openings.

United States Patent Shears [s41 UNITARY SHEET METAL KEY LOOP RETAINER[72] inventor: Stuart T. Shears, Belmont, Mass.

[73] Assignee: TRW Inc., Cleveland, Ohio ['22] Filed: June 3,1970

[21 Appl.No.: 43,075

52 .s.c|..... ..70/456B [51 int. Cl. ..A47g 29/10 [58] Field of Search..70/456 B, 456 A, 457, 458, 70/459; 150/40; 24/3 K [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,006,182 10/1961 Harman"; ..70/456 B Oct.24, 1972 3,008,323 11/1961 Legat ..70/456 B 3,132,504 5/ 1964 Beilis..70/456 B 3,309,905 3/1967 Shepherd ..70/456 B Primary Examiner-RobertL. Wolfe Attorney-Philip E. Parker, James R. OConnor, Hall & Houghtonand Gordon Needleman [57] ABSTRACT A one piece sheet metal key loopretainer has a leaf spring integrally joined to the forward end of itskey loop retainer section through a reversely bent bight. The leafspring underlies each of a plurality of loop head receiving openings inthe loop receiving section of the retainer and terminates in a free'endlying above the loop receiving openings.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITARY SHEET METAL KEY LOOP RETAINERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION securing the separate leaf spring to thebody or base of the retainer. A further operation is -required to turndown the rearward edges of the upper key loop receiving section in orderto insurethat the said section remains spaced from the body of theretainer and to preclude the said section from collapsing on the leafspring. Like Hanna, the key retainer disclosed by Beilis has a so-calledbox construction wherein the edges of the key loop receiving section areturned down to brace the said section and maintain it in spacedrelationship with respect to the body of the retainer. Further, by

reason of the fanlike configuration of the individual spring elements ofBeilis, which are formed integral with the upper loop receiving sectionof his retainer, an excessive amount of stock must be removed from theblank during formation of that patented device.

. Thus, the present inventions contribution to the art is seen to residein a key loop retainer of unitary, simplified construction which. lendsitself to production through a minimal number of manufacturingoperations with a significant reduction in material waste, whichretainer functions in a highly efficient manner whether installed in ahard or soft backed key case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A'one pieceysheet metal key'loop retainer. Akey loop receiving section extends forwardly and upwardly from the baseof the retainer and has aplurality of through openings'formed therein.The openings are generally circular and of a diameter slightly greaterthan the spherical head on the wire key loops used with the retainer. Akey loop retaining section initially extends forwardly and upwardly fromthe loop receiving section and then downwardly toward an imaginaryplanar extension of the base and defines a loop head holding chamber. Aplurality of parallel slots are formed in the loop retaining section andeach of the slots opens into communication at one end with one of theopenings in the loop receiving section and is closed at its oppositeend. The width of each slot is slightly less than the diameter of thespherical head of the key loops to be retained. A forward supportsection (which is integrally joined to the forward lower end of the loopretaining section) extends rearwardly toward the base and lies generallycoplanar with the base. A leaf spring is integrally joined to therearwardend of the forward support section by a reversely bent bight andextends upwardly from the forward support section in normally divergent,te'nsioned relationship with respect to that section. The leaf springunderlies each of the openings 'in the loop receiving section andterminates in a free end lying above the said openings and within theloop head holding chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of aretainer according to the invention having six key loops seated therein;

FIG. 2 is across sectional view of the retainer of FIG. 1 taken throughthe center of one of the openings and slots in the key loop receivingand retaining sections, respectively, with a key loop depicted in fulland in a typical position wherein it is about to be withdrawn from theretainer;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the retainer similar to FIG. 2depicting a fragmentary portion of a key loop in full as it is beinginserted into the retainer; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the retainer absent the key loops.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A loop retainer according to theinvention may be conveniently manufactured from a carbon steel blankwhich is worked and formed while in a soft, e.g. annealed, state andthereafter tempered by heat treating to render the metal springy as willbe well understood by those skilled in the metal working arts.

The illustrated retainer 2, as a finished product, is of unitary springmetal construction and generally includes a base 4, a key loop receivingsection 6, a key loop retaining section 8, a forward support section 10,and a leaf spring 12.

The base 4 has a pair of openings 14 formed therein for the receipt ofrivets, eyelets or other convenient fastening means which are utilizedto secure the retainer to the frame of a key case.

The loop receiving section 6 commences in a substantially vertical firstportion 16 which extends outwardly or upwardly from the base and mergesinto a second portion 18 which extends forwardly, generally parallel tothe plane of the base. A plurality of generally keyhole shaped openings20 are formed in the portion 18 adjacent its end remote from the base 4.

The key loop retaining section 8 extends outwardly or upwardlyfrom theend of the loop receiving section adjacent openings 20 in an arcuate,reversely bent portion 22 and thence continues downwardly or inwardly ina generally straight wall portion 24 toward an imaginary planarextension of the base 4. The key loop retaining section defines whatmight best be termed a loop head holding chamber 25. A plurality ofspaced parallel slots 26 are fonned in the loop retaining section 8 andextend through both portions 22,24 thereof. At one end the slots are inopen communication with the openings 20 with their opposite ends beingclosed adjacent the lower end of the portion 24. The diameter of theenlarged circular portion of the openings 20 and the width of the slots26 are selected so that the former is slightly greater than and thelatter slightly less than the diameter of the spherical head 28 of thewire key loops 30 used with the retainer.

The forward support section 10 extends rearwardly toward the base fromthe lower end of the front portion 24 of the loop retaining section andlies generally coplanar with the base. Leaf spring 12 is joined to theend of the forward support section proximate the base through aplurality of reversely bent webs or bights 32 and extends forwardly fromthe webs in normally divergent, tensioned relationship with respect tothe forward support section and terminates in a free end 34 which, asmost clearly depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, lies above the openings 20. Thespring 12, when at rest, is biased against the upper portion of theretainer at the junction of the loop receiving and loop retainingsections and immediately underlies each of the openings 20.

A key loop is installed in the retainer as best depicted in FIG. 3 bymanually passing the loop head 28 through the enlarged, generallycircular portion of an opening 20 and depressing the leaf spring 12toward the forward support section against the bias of the webs 32 untilthe loop head clears the undersurface of the loop receiving section, andthereafter pulling the loop forwardly into a slot 26 in the loopretaining section. When the loop head 28 clears the free end 34 of thespring, the latter snaps back to its normal position depicted in FIG. 1and the loop head is in effect trapped in the chamber 25. The installedkey loops are of course pivotal throughout the length of the slots 26for the movement of one or more keys attached thereto into or out of akey case in the well-known manner. The leaf spring 12 accordinglyprovides a movable restriction to the re-entry of the head or aninstalled key loop into the opening and thereby inhibits accidentalrelease of a key loop under normal conditions of usage of the retainer.

The disclosed preferred embodiment depicts three reversely bent webs 32connecting the leaf spring to the forward support section. The readerwill of course appreciate that one, or two or more than three webs mightbe utilized and that in fact the spring might be connected through acontinuous unbroken web or bight extending across the full width of theretainer depending on the springiness of the material and the easinessor hardness of action desired in the springs operation. In any case itis obvious that the only material removed from the initial blank duringmanufacture of the retainer which might be considered lost scrap orwaste is that which is removed to provide the gaps between the springconnecting webs. Thus, the object of providing a simple economical andyet highly efficient one piece key loop retainer has been realized.

The reader will also appreciate that the foregoing detailed descriptionshould be interpreted in illustrative as opposed to alimiting sense inthat it is obvious that one of ordinary skill in the art could effectchanges and modifications in the preferred embodiment which would bewithin the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. A one piece, sheet metal key loop retainer comprising a base, a loopreceiving section extending forwardly and upwardly from one end of saidbase and having an opening extending therethrough, a loop retainingsection initially extending upwardly and forwardly from said loopreceiving section and then downwardly toward an imaginary planarextension of said base, said loop retaining section defining a loop headholding chamber and having a slot formed therein, one end of said slotcommunicating with the said opening in said loop receiving section, anda leaf 5 rin inte all 'oined to a rtion of said loo retaini g se ctionieni o' te from said base, said leaf sp i'ing underlying said opening insaid loop receiving section and terminating in a free end lying abovesaid opening and within said loop head holding chamber, said leaf springproviding a movable restriction to insertion and withdrawal of a keyloop head into and out of said loop head holding chamber through thesaid opening in said loop receiving section under normal conditions ofusage of said retainer.

2. A key loop retainer according to claim 1 including a forward supportsection integrally joined to the forward, lower end of said loopretaining section and extending rearwardly toward said base.

3. A key loop retainer according to claim 2 wherein said leaf spring isintegrally joined to said forward support section adjacent its endproximate said base by a reversely bent bight and said leaf springextends upwardly from said forward support section in spaced, tensioned,normally divergent relationship with respect to said support section.

4. A key loop retainer according to claim 2 wherein said forward supportsection is generally coplanar with said base.

5. A key loop retainer according to claim 1 wherein said loop receivingsection has a plurality of openings extending therethrough and said loopretaining section has a plurality of slots formed therein and each slotcommunicates at one end with one of said openings and said leaf springis continuous throughout its width and underlies each of said openings.

1. A one piece, sheet metal key loop retainer comprising a base, a loopreceiving section extending forwardly and upwardly from one end of saidbase and having an opening extending therethrough, a loop retainingsection initially extending upwardly and forwardly from said loopreceiving section and then downwardly toward an imaginary planarextension of said base, said loop retaining section defining a loop headholding chamber and having a slot formed therein, one end of said slotcommunicating with the said opening in said loop receiving section, anda leaf spring integrally joined to a portion of said loop retainingsection remote from said base, said leaf spring underlying said openingin said loop receiving section and terminating in a free end lying abovesaid opening and within said loop head holding chamber, said leaf springproviding a movable restriction to insertion and withdrawal of a keyloop head into and out of said loop head holding chamber through thesaid opening in said loop receiving section under normal conditions ofusage of said retainer.
 2. A key loop retainer according to claim 1including a forward support section integrally joined to the forward,lower end of said loop retaining section and extending rearwardly towardsaid base.
 3. A key loop retainer according to claim 2 wherein said leafspring is integrally joined to said forward support section adjacent itsend proximate said base by a reversely bent bight and said leaf springextends upwardly from said forward support section in spaced, tensioned,normally divergent relationship with respect to said support section. 4.A key loop retainer according to claim 2 wherein said forward supportsection is generally coplanar with said base.
 5. A key loop retaineraccording to claim 1 wherein said loop receiving section has a pluRalityof openings extending therethrough and said loop retaining section has aplurality of slots formed therein and each slot communicates at one endwith one of said openings and said leaf spring is continuous throughoutits width and underlies each of said openings.